Join the Australian Beverages Council

The Australian Beverages Council is headed by a Board of Directors, each of whose respective companies are involved in the franchise, manufacture, distribution or import of non-alcoholic, water, and juice-based beverages. Directors are elected from the Membership body by Members. The structure of the Board reflects the Membership of our association.

The Board provides stewardship of the organisation and the industry through sound governance, structure, and a commitment to informed strategic planning and oversight. To effectively and fairly represent the united interests of a diverse industry, each Director has one vote. The Australian Beverages Council also has a Constitution which guarantees representation for all parts of the industry.

Sandra Loader

Independent Chair and Non-Executive Director

Sandra is a professional non-executive director with 30 years FMCG experience. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and wisdom to make a difference as a leader. Sandra has 10 years’ experience in directorships across the FMCG sector and not for Profit organisations.

Sandra has been a Director of the Australian Beverages Council Ltd (ABCL) for 9 years and is the current Independent Chair and Non-Executive Director. She is passionate about ensuring the beverages sector works together to drive positive change and choice for consumers.

Sandra is a non-executive director on three boards in addition to working with Hargraves Institute as the Victorian advocate and mentors individuals, small business and communities. Her skills span Strategy, Risk, Governance, Compliance and Innovation. She currently sits on the NSW Advisory Committee for CDS and is also a board member for SEA the Sports Environment Alliance. She has previously held executive roles within Asahi Beverages, The Better Drinks Company, and prior to that, was the Science & Technology Director for Schweppes Australia for 8 years responsible for innovation, product, packaging, national quality, consumer services and flavour manufacturing.

Sandra has led both technical and commercial functions and is known for developing and implementing business culture change and business integration programs at senior levels and across multiple functions. She now spends her time focusing on the things that really matter and ensuring she is making powerful, positive change.

Geoff Parker

Chief Executive Officer & Company Secretary, Australian Beverages Council

In 2009, Geoff was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Beverages Council. Since then, Geoff has successfully managed two mergers, significantly raised the Beverages Council’s profile with key stakeholders and firmly positioned the organisation as the peerless, respected voice of the $7+ billion non-alcoholic beverage industry in Australia.

In 2010, Geoff was elected President and Asia-Pacific Regional Director of the International Council of Beverages Associations (ICBA). In 2012 he was elected for a consecutive two-year term. Geoff also serves on the Board of the International Council of Bottled Water Associations (ICBWA), and in 2017 was elected as its Vice-President. Geoff has been on the ICBWA Board since 2009.

Geoff has over 20 years’ involvement in boardrooms including global training companies, national not-for-profits, arts organisations, public companies, statutory authorities and international associations in both director and chair roles.

Geoff is a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Management and the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and holds qualifications from The University of Queensland and The University of Cambridge. Geoff divides his time between Sydney, Brisbane and overseas markets. He is a rugby tragic, terrible golfer, avid runner and enjoys cooking and wine matching.

Tim Carey

Tim’s involvement in the bottled water industry stretches over 20 years, from the time that his father Brian started a small spring water supply business from their family property at Millbrook, Victoria.

Following 5 years as a Consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Tim joined Black Mount Spring Water full time in 2005 as Managing Director and started the expansion of the business.

Black Mount now supplies the bulk spring water and logistics to over 20 customers in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, with small interest in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Tim is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accounts of Australia and has served on the ABCL Board since 2014 and ABWI Executive Committee since 2009, including the past 5 years as Chair.

Darek Kosla

Director, Business Development and Compliance, Tru Blu Beverages

Darek Kosla is a director at Tru Blu Beverages Pty Ltd. His experience in beverages spans over a number of years.

Darek has held a number of senior roles in technical, manufacturing operations and sales (contract packing) at Tru Blu Beverages, P&N Beverages, The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola Asia) and Lion Nathan.

His professional career spans across Australia UK, New Zealand, and Poland.

Malcolm Lack

Managing Director, Alchemy

Malcolm has been involved in manufacturing for over 30 years, the last 17 as Managing Director of Alchemy Cordial beverage company in Queensland.

Malcolm is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and holds multiple board positions including being Director of the Australian Beverages Council for the last 8 years. He is a straight shooter who enjoys robust discussion and the never-ending quest for improvement.

Lisa Saunders

General Manager – Marketing, Asahi Beverages

Lisa is the General Manager – Marketing, Asahi Lifestyle Beverages with over twenty years’ experience in the drinks industry. Lisa has a passion for sustainability, innovation and driving leadership through coaching and development.

Before joining Asahi, Lisa was Marketing Director for Australia & New Zealand, Treasury Wines and Chair of the Women in Drinks Board. Lisa has had extensive experience in FMCG Marketing and has also worked internationally for Foster’s and Sainsbury’s Supermarkets.

Peter Gates

Managing Director, Doehler ANZ

Peter Gates is a juice career veteran, having spent over 20 years with Australia’s biggest juice processor and leading brand owner, which culminated in having total responsibilities for five manufacturing facilities.

Most recently as CEO of the Directus Group, Peter is a passionate regional advocate of the industry and broader food and beverage industry. He is also an executive board member of the International Fruit and Vegetable Juice Association.

Brad Van Dijk

As a consumer goods industry executive, Brad Van Dijk has established a strong track record of improving operating performance and increasing employee engagement through a broad range of leadership roles. Currently, Senior Director Global Franchise Development and VP/GM PepsiCo ANZ Beverages.

Van Dijk has worked and lived in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand with role responsibilities spanning across Asia Pacific and more recently China, India and Middle East.

The first 10 years of his career were with Canadian food industry leader, Maple Leaf Foods, in coast-to-coast roles of increasing complexity and responsibility, including business integrations and turnarounds, prior to joining PepsiCo Asia Pacific. He served as Commercial Sales VP across multiple markets, growing the business and establishing critical links between global retailers and PepsiCo bottling partners.

Van Dijk then served as Commercial VP for PepsiCo ANZ’s market-leading foods business (Smith’s Snackfoods) in Australia before taking responsibility for leading PepsiCo ANZ’s Franchise beverage business in partnership with global players such as Asahi Beverages and Suntory Beverages. Van Dijk’s responsibilities recently expanded to include Global Franchise Development specifically across Asia, Middle East, and Africa.

Currently based in Sydney, Australia, Van Dijk serves as Vice President of the Australian Beverages Council and Senior Director for all of PepsiCo ANZ’s businesses.

George Kotses

Operations Manager, Bickford’s Australia

George Kotses has over 23 years experience in the beverage industry working for the Bickford’s Group of companies, where he is Group Operations Manager with overall responsibility for the group’s total portfolio of operational sites.

George is based at the Salisbury Facility in South Australia, which is the main Operational and Logistics site on 24,000 sq metres of land, that produces soft drink, mixers, cordial, premium juices, syrups, water, flavoured water (under the Bickford’s and Aqua Pura brands) and alcoholic – full strength spirits, RTD’s, Ciders, wine, fortified wine – major brands portfolio Galway Tawny, Andrew Garratt Sparkling, Queen Adelaide, Beresford Wines, 3 Oaks Cider, Beenleigh Rum and Black Bottle Brandy.

Russell Mahoney

Director – Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Coca-Cola South Pacific, Vice-President, Australian Beverages Council

Russell Mahoney has recently been appointed the Director of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability for the South Pacific Business Unit of Coca-Cola, based in Sydney.

Russell has been with Coca-Cola for just over three years, serving as the head of the Government Relations and Communications function in Australia. In 2018 he spent 6 months at Coca-Cola Japan on a short-term assignment to assist with the re-establishment of their external affairs function.

Prior to working at Coca-Cola, he led the communications function for Woolworths Supermarkets, and has worked as a consultant advising on communications and government relations matters for FTI Consulting.

Russell was Communications Director to the then Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and worked as a broadcast journalist. He holds a Bachelor of Education and a Graduate Diploma of Journalism.

Ruth Muller

Research, Development & Inventions Director, Frucor Suntory

Ruth is a seasoned Research and Development leader, with 20 years of global, regional and local experience.

She has a track record of building high-performing teams, delivering consumer-relevant innovation and strong business results.

Ruth is commercially minded and passionate about understanding consumer motivation and using it to define and drive growth opportunities and positive change.

Ruth leads Frucor Suntory’s R&D and Marketing Inventions team. Previously, she has held senior leadership roles at Campbell Arnott’s and Unilever, where she was fortunate to have participated in seven different Global Executive Development programmes, in the UK, Singapore, Thailand, USA and China.

Her achievements include:

– Leading a global skin care project from Germany in 2005, driving double-digit market growth– Introducing portfolio analytics reporting in collaboration with Unilever’s London-based Marketing VP to assist global decision making for the Savoury portfolio– First in Unilever to work on a brand-led sustainable sourcing strategy, securing global procurement resource to fast-track herb and spice “sustainably sourced” accreditation– Helping facilitate Savoury team integration globally, bringing eight regions together by setting up a two-way digital communications platform for best practice leverage and driving the global agenda– Co-leading a cross-functional AU team cost-saving programme, generating $8m in landed savings– Involvement in successful industry and government working groups on sodium reduction in AU and influencing global strategy– Leading a global project management centre of excellence, resulting in significant capability and effectiveness gains

Outside work, Ruth enjoys time with her husband Peter and 12 year old daughter Erika, gardening and has just registered for her fourth half marathon.

Jerome Colin

Finance Director, Red Bull Australia

Experienced, results-driven and commercially astute, Jerome is a leading finance professional with a proven track record of achievement in a complex, high-pressure and multi-national environments.

With strong analytical, operational and technical skills supported by a high level of commercial and strategic capabilities and excellent business partnering attitude, Jerome has driven improvements in a number of business environments in both the short- and long-term by partnering with C-suite executives and a range of other stakeholders.

Jerome previously held senior roles at LVMH and Moët-Hennessy’s with responsibility for premium wine estates from Argentina, Brazil, United States, Australia, New Zealand and Spain.

About

The Australian Beverages Council Ltd (ABCL) is the peak body representing the non-alcoholic beverage industry.…